Preventing Floods Using Natural Bamboo Dikes
A Community-Led Innovation Case Study from the Philippines
The Naci Dike in Surallah utilizes existing disaster risk reduction (DRR) technology to build a dike made out of bamboo, which serves as a barrier against the strong current of the Allah River, rendering it less destructive upon reaching the shoreline in the event of a flash flood. Over time, the bamboo poles will disintegrate, and within five years they will be replaced by vegetation from the trees and the plants that have been planted, thereby creating a natural and sustainable protection system against floods. The innovation team consists of five members: three farmers from the Talahik community — all of them members of the Talahik Farmers Association — a representative from Tribal Leaders Development Foundation, Inc. (TLDFI), and an official from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO). Since August 2022, the Talahik Farmers Association has been involved to ensure the sustainability of the dike and to lessen the burden on the three community members.
This innovation is the result of a longer development process: in 2018, the concrete dike in the barangay (local district) was partly destroyed by flood. The barangay officials asked for help from TLDFI, with whom they have partnered for 15 years, to renew the dike utilizing the Naci Dike Bamboo Technology. Its implementation unexpectedly failed due to the unique makeup of the Allah riverbed in Talahik, which contains a lot of debris. Additionally, the bamboo roots needed to be planted extremely deep to not be uprooted. In the current innovation process, modifications were made to better suit the needs of the barangay riverbed: the hollow bamboo was filled with sand and water to bear weight. Now it is expected that the dike will hold in case of a flood.
Originally, community members were not part of the innovation: TLDFI and MDRRMO applied to the Pinnovation Academy together. Because the CLIP required community member participation and for the innovation to be community-led, the innovators were later added to the team. PHP 500,000 (USD $9,100) of initial funding was received, which was originally intended to be used on a 300-meter-long dam, which was then stretched to cover 500 meters by adjusting the placement of the bamboo. Within the team, clear roles have been ascribed to each of the members: The community innovators are responsible for the implementation of the project, while the partner organisations and the MDRRMO representative work on the financial, technical, administrative, and logistical components of the project.
While the project has yet to be tested by a flash flood, the people living in the barangay already feel more protected against the effects of a strong typhoon and the ensuing flash flood. The innovation has also, perhaps by virtue of the participation of the MDRRMO, created connections throughout the barangay, for example with its chairman. The innovation is looking into partnering with the barangay on the creation of an ordinance to prevent stray animals from eating the plants that were planted near the perimeter of the bamboo dike to allow it to grow. The Talahik Farmers Association has also been recently involved: as a result of a resolution passed by the barangay, the responsibility for maintenance of the Naci Dike has been transferred to the association, as well as the role of focal point of the Municipal DRRMO at the barangay level, meaning the association plays a key role in the sustainability of the innovation. Furthermore, the MDRRMO will support the association so they can better handle projects and so that they will have improved access to funding opportunities.
The Community-Led Innovation Partnership is a joint initiative between Elrha, Start Network, Asia Disaster Reduction and Response Network, Asociación de Servicios Comunitarios de Salud in Guatemala, Center for Disaster Preparedness in the Philippines, and Yakkum Emergency Unit in Indonesia, which supports the emergence and development of locally-driven solutions to humanitarian problems. It is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
This case study forms part of the CLIP Programme Evaluation 2020–2023, undertaken by Catalystas Consulting in March 2023.
Evaluators: Judith Vollebregt, Aviva Stein, Paula Kantor and Sofía Paredes.
Contributors: Arya Bagus, Alejandra Gonzalez and Jemiema Dagadas.
